Apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehicles having a generally cylindrical side bar adapted for attachment to a vehicle chassis, one or more U-shaped cylindrical bars attached to and suspended from said bar comprised of two end portions and a center bar. The U-shaped bars may be of tubular construction and have a flat surface and are preferably angled from the side bar at an angle of approximately 45 degrees and each U-shaped bar has end portions that meet the center bar at an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees. The side bar may be attached to any of a variety of chassis designs and may have a plurality of steps at the doors and at or near the back of the vehicle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/039,135 filed Jan. 19,2005, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,416,202 which is a continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 10/603,848 filed Jun. 25, 2003, now issued as U.S.Pat. No. 6,874,801 which is a continuation of application Ser. No.10/041,273 filed Nov. 7, 2001 now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,783.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of vehicle accessories,and more particularly to automotive side bars for assisting entry intohigh road clearance vehicles.

The present invention relates in general to vehicle side bars for sportutility vehicles, pick-up trucks, jeeps and similar vehicles.

A vehicle side bar is an accessory which has gained considerablepopularity in recent years. In essence, it is a wide tubular bar whichis attached to the side of a vehicle just below the passenger cab. Itusually covers the length of the cab and projects laterally to theoutside of the cab side or door surface. It is usually bolted or weldedto the main longitudinal frame beam of the vehicle chassis.

The side bar is both an appearance accessory and provides someprotection for door and side of the vehicle cab to deflect debris.

Many vehicles of earlier date had running boards along the side of thevehicle to provide a stable platform to stand on and assist in entry andexit from the vehicle. More recently, side bars have been manufacturedand sold, primarily by small and large automotive accessory companies.Side bars, while primarily a styling accessory, have been modified toprovide a step built into the side bar to assist in entry of and exitfrom the vehicle. The side bar system of the present invention, incontrast with side bars with a step built into the bar, provides a stepassembly independent of the side bar providing a stable step closer tothe ground.

Running boards were at one time a standard feature on most passengervehicles, including light duty trucks such as pickup trucks. The runningboard provided an intermediate step that was an aid in entering thepassenger compartment of the vehicle.

As vehicle designs changed, the bodies of the vehicles were lowered andthe running disappeared from the design of the vehicle. The body of thevehicles, in addition to being lowered was widened to provide more spacein the passenger compartment. This design concept of eliminating runningboards carried over to other vehicles that were not lowered in design,such as four wheel drive pickups and sport utility vehicles.

Four wheel drive vehicles are intentionally designed with a relativelyhigh road clearance, that is the frame and body is supported at arelatively high distance from the ground. This is a desiredcharacteristic, since the user of the vehicles wants the maximumclearance for traversing adverse road conditions such as deep snow,muddy and rutted roads and the like. Additionally four wheel drivevehicles are often driven off improved roadways where all types ofconditions are likely to be encountered.

One of the problems with a high clearance vehicle is the height of theentry into the passenger compartment. The floor of the passenger cab isof necessity high above the ground and for many individuals, therequired “step” is too high to permit easy entry.

Side bars such as those similar to and described in U.S. Pat. No.4,935,638 provide a step on the side bar itself. This step is many timesstill too high off the ground to permit easy entry into the vehicle.Aesthetically, a step built into the side bar also visually disrupts theclean line and streamlined appearance of the bar.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is assists entry into vehiclepassenger compartment. Another object of the invention is to provide anintermediate step between the ground and the floor of the passengercompartment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stylish appearanceaccessory to vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a functional side stepand/or a protective device for the door and side of the vehicle cab.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, anembodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there isdisclosed an apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearancevehicles having a generally cylindrical side bar adapted for attachmentto a vehicle chassis, one or more smaller U-shaped cylindrical barsattached to and suspended from said bar comprised of two end portionsand a center bar, and a generally flat surface on the top of each ofsaid center bar of said U-shaped bars.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, thereis disclosed an apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearancevehicles having a generally cylindrical side bar adapted for attachmentto a vehicle chassis, one or more U-shaped cylindrical bars attached toand suspended from said bar comprised of two end portions and a centerbar; and a non-skid surface on the top of each of said center bars ofsaid U-shaped bars.

The tubular side bar is mounted onto the vehicle chassis by means ofmounting brackets which attach to the chassis and the side bar by avariety of conventional means including but not limited to welds,brazing or attachment with nuts and bolts.

The smaller U-shaped tubular bars are attached to the side bar by welds,brazing or other means. Similarly, a step is constructed by attaching aflat bar to the top of the U-shaped tubing. This configuration is thestep assembly. An additional lower step can be constructed by usinganother small U-shaped tubular bar and attaching it to the first stepassembly. In this manner additional steps can be produced for higherclearance vehicles.

The side bar and attached step assembly mounted by brackets to thevehicle chassis form a streamlined accessory just below the bottom ofthe vehicle passenger cab and extending from just aft of the forwardwheel fender to just forward of the rear wheel fender. The step assembly(or assemblies) is (are) suspended from the side bar and positioned justbelow each door or passenger exit to assist entry and exit from thevehicle.

The composition of the tubular bars and flat bar can be metal or any ofa number of high strength composite materials. The finish of the barscan be but is not limited to chrome, polished metal or high or low glosspaint to complement the appearance of the vehicle.

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and includeexemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects ofthe invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate anunderstanding of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are top and side plan views of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the invention takenalong line A-A of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A through E are top and side plan views of the side bar, stepassembly components and mounting brackets.

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments are provided herein.It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may beembodied in various forms. Various aspects of the invention may beinverted, or changed in reference to specific part shape and detail,part location, or part composition. Therefore, specific detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as abasis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching oneskilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually anyappropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1A illustrates side bar 20 attached tothe underside of vehicle 22, partially shown in phantom. Vehicle 22 maybe one of any number of sport utility vehicles, pick up trucks or othervehicles. Side bar 20 is typically welded or brazed to mounting brackets26 which are then attached to vehicle underside chassis 24 of vehicle 22by use of bolts, welds, brazing or other means well known in the art.The side bar typically extends the majority of the distance underneath apassenger compartment and may extend along the direction between thefront and rear wheels of the vehicle. Side bar 20 may be formed from agenerally cylindrical tube having a cross section of any a variety ofpolygonal shapes including, but not limited to, a circle, a square, arectangle, a triangle, an oval, an ellipse, or any other suitable shape.Side bar 20 may also be any other rigid member that is capable ofmounting on a chassis along the underside of the vehicle. Side bar 20functions as a protective guard for the exterior side surfaces ofvehicle 22 and serves as a stable platform for attachment of the smallerU-shaped bar of step assembly 28. Step assembly 28 may also be madeusing tubular construction. The invention teaches that a flat bar 29 maybe attached on the upper surface of the center of the bar of stepassembly 28 to thereby form a step. Alternatively a non-skid surface maybe applied to that area of the bar to form a step surface on flat bar29.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the tubular bar of the stepassembly 28 is attached to the side bar 20 by welding; the welds areground and sanded to a smooth finish prior to polishing and/or paintingof the metal surfaces of the invention. Typical side bars 20 andU-shaped tubular bars of the step assembly 28 comprise rugged tubularsteel tubing although other materials including but not limited to hightensile strength composites may be used. Similarly, flat bars 29 thatform a step are typically stamped steel although other materials may beused. In an alternative embodiment non-skid materials of various kindscan be applied to the top of the center of the tubular bar of the stepassembly 28 to form a step.

On a four-door vehicle, side bar 20 is fitted with tubular bars for stepassembly 28 and flat bar 29 positioned below and generally centeredbelow each door. Step assembly 28 is preferably located relative to thedoors so that a passenger can easily use the step to enter and exitvehicle 22. Alternatively, vehicle 22 may have two side doors, a thirdopening for a mini-club cab or a specialty vehicle with a plurality ofdoors for the passenger cab; in each case a step assembly and step ispositioned below each door. In addition, a step assembly 28 may belocated behind the rear door just before the rear tire well to permitstep access to the bed of the truck or the rear roof surface of a sportutility vehicle.

FIG. 1B shows a preferred embodiment of the invention from a side viewbefore being mounted on a vehicle. Step assembly 28 is a U-shaped barhaving two ends 21 connected together by a central bar 27 that togetherattach to side bar 20 to form a step. The angle at which ends 21 attachto central bar 27 may be of any of a variety of angles typically from 0to 45 degrees to facilitate easy access by a human foot and a stoppingpoint on either side of central bar 27 to inhibit slipping and undesiredmovement of the person using the step. Ends 21 may be of two differentangles on one step assembly depending on the application. Attached to orformed in central bar 27 is flat surface (flat bar 29 of FIG. 1A) toform a convenient location for a foot to alight.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side cross sectional view of the invention alongthe line A-A of FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment, side bar 30 iswelded to mounting bracket 32. Mounting bracket 32 is bolted to thevehicle underside chassis 34 to stably secure the side bar below thevehicle body (not shown). Step assembly 36 (consisting of the tubularbar and step previously described) is welded to side bar 30 at anappropriate angle to provide an optimum setback from the vehiclepassenger cab and easy to access surface to assist in entering andexiting the vehicle. Preferably, the angle should be approximately 45degrees from the horizontal plane. There may be applications where theangle could be anywhere from 0 to 90 degrees relative to the horizontalplane depending on vehicle height off the ground and the particular useintended.

FIGS. 3A through F show each of the component parts of a preferredembodiment in more detail. FIG. 3A shows a top plan view of side bar 40.During manufacture side bars 40 are cut to lengths customized for eachvehicle. After cutting side bar 40 to the desired length, the ends arebent and stylized bent ends 42 and 44 created. One or both of the bentends may be removed as depicted on the left bent end 44 in shadedoutline in the figure to achieve the desired stylized effect. In thepreferred embodiment the tubular bar is comprised of mild steel of 3inch diameter and 14 gauge thickness although other generallycylindrical shapes and materials can be used for side bar 40.

FIG. 3B shows a side plan view of side bar 40 and accurately depicts aclean closed appearance of the side bar with the bent ends removed as inoutlined bent end 44 from FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C shows a top plan view of step assembly tubular bar 50. Duringmanufacture step assembly tubular bars 50 are cut to lengths customizedfor each vehicle. The angle at which the bend is applied to bar 50 maybe of any of a variety, typically between approximately 0 to 45 degreesto permit easy access of a foot when stepping onto the step assembly.After cutting tubular bar 50 to the desired length the ends are bent andstylized bent ends 52 and 54 created. Bent ends 52 and 54 are thensmoothed and recut to provide a surface that can be attached flush toside bar 30. In the preferred embodiment tubular bar 50 is comprised ofmild steel of 1.5 inch diameter and 14 gauge thickness although othergenerally cylindrical shapes and materials can be used for tubular bar50.

FIG. 3D shows side plan view of flat bar 58 that is used to create astepping surface in the step assembly. In the preferred embodiment theflat bar is welded to the top portion of the tubular bar shown in FIG.3C in a manner that creates a step that is horizontal to the ground whenthe vehicle is parked on a level surface. The flat bar typicallyconsists of stamped steel although other materials well known in the artmay be substituted.

FIG. 3E shows two side plan views of a preferred embodiment of themounting bracket. The mounting bracket typically consists of stampedsteel and is fashioned to each vehicle model to stably hold the side barin the preferred position below the vehicle body. A typical mountingbracket consists of arms 60 and 62 of varying lengths that hold the sidebar in place. With a preferred 3 inch diameter side bar the distancebetween the top and bottom arms 60 and 62 would be 2.25 inches allowinga secure attachment by means of welding or brazing of the side bar tothe arms 60 and 62. Extension 64 is attached to arms 60 and 62 and isadapted for mounting on the chassis of the vehicle by bolts (not shown)placed in pre-drilled holes on extension 64.

FIG. 4 is side view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in atypical installation mounted on high road clearance vehicle 78. Aspreviously described, side bar 70 and tubular bar of step assembly 72form an aesthetically pleasing streamlined appearance along theunderside of the vehicle body. Bent arm 80 of the side bar complementsthe bent arms of the step assembly tubular bars and forms a symmetricalvisual that is pleasing to the eye and creates a safe edge on the barthat is less likely to be caught on objects or people. Mounting brackets76 are somewhat hidden in a properly installed installation and do notinterfere with ingress or egress from the vehicle. Likewise flat bar 74for the step assembly forms a step without taking away from the safeapplication as a step formed by the invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention;and therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of thefollowing claims. Although this invention has been described in terms ofcertain preferred embodiments, other embodiments that are apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of thisinvention, as defined in the claims which follow.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention tothe particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended tocover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may beincluded within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

1. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearance vehiclescomprising: a generally cylindrical side bar adapted for horizontalattachment to a vehicle wherein said bar is fixedly attached to a sideof the vehicle along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein saidside bar is extended outward from the side of said vehicle; one or moresmaller U-shaped cylindrical bars comprised of two end portions and acenter portion, wherein said end portions are removably attached to saidside bar.
 2. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearancevehicles comprising: a generally cylindrical side bar adapted forhorizontal attachment to a vehicle wherein said side bar is fixedlyattached to a side of the vehicle along a longitudinal axis of thevehicle situated substantially co-extensive with the door openings ofsaid vehicle, wherein said side bar is extended outward from the side ofsaid vehicle; one or more U-shaped cylindrical bars comprised of two endportions and a center portion , wherein said end portions are immovablyattached to said side bar.
 3. An apparatus to enable access into avehicle comprising: a generally cylindrical side bar adapted forhorizontal attachment to a vehicle wherein said bar is fixedly attachedto a side of the vehicle along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle,wherein said side bar is extended outward from the side of said vehicle;a generally U-shaped bar comprised of two end portions and a centerportion, said end portions attached to said bar, wherein said U-shapedbar is attached at an angle approximately 45 degrees from the horizontalplane.
 4. An apparatus for assisting entry into high road clearancevehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped bars are bolted tosaid side bar.
 5. An apparatus for assisting entry into high roadclearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a generallyflat area on the top of the U-shaped bar.
 6. An apparatus for assistingentry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid U-shaped bars are attached at an angle approximately 45 degreesfrom the horizontal plane of said side bar.
 7. An apparatus forassisting entry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1wherein said side bar has a bent end portion.
 8. An apparatus forassisting entry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1wherein said U-shaped bars have end portions that connect to said sidebar at an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees.
 9. An apparatus forassisting entry into high road clearance vehicles as claimed in claim 1wherein said end portions of said U-shaped bar meet said center portionat an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees.